"A wise man once said, 'Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your unguarded thoughts.'" -- The Buddha

I want to share with you an important "Now Moment," the short, action-oriented pieces that come at the end of most of the chapters in The Now Effect. This little...

If you're reading this you have access to technology and that means that you are likely going to engage in media multitasking at some point or another. In a past study scientists showed how media multitasking leads to poorer cognitive performance. That's not so shocking since our attentional...

Whether you're new or old to mindfulness, you've likely heard the definition that it is a "intentional, non-judgmental awareness of the present moment." There's a lot of confusion around the term "non-judgment." Years ago, before I began being more intentional with a mindfulness practice, I had a friend practicing meditation...

A research study just came out in the Journal of Neuroscience, in which scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston used sea snail nerve cells to reverse memory loss. The scientists were able to help the cells compensate for memory loss by retraining them...

A study out of the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) recently came out that showed how a two-week mindfulness training improved students GRE reading-comprehension scores and working memory, while reducing mind wandering among students prone to distraction. Of course, this story went viral because of the value...

I recently led a workshop focused on helping us develop a wiser relationship to our technology (smartphones, iPads, computers, television, etc.). In the beginning of the workshop, I explained how as much as we feel that technology is a part of our lives, historically, we're really just becoming acquainted with...

All of us have an innate desire to heal our suffering and step into a wiser and happier life. Today, it is my great pleasure to bring a favorite author, teacher and psychologist of mine who is at the forefront of integrating mindfulness into psychotherapy and our lives. Tara Brach,...

One thing we've learned about the brain over the last 15 years is that it can form new neural connections throughout the lifespan. This is called neuroplasticity, you may have heard of it. Neuroplasticity occurs when we practice and repeat doing things and eventually it just become automatic,...

It's been a little while now since the new year has set upon us. Whether you're a resolution person or not, odds are there are some thoughts that you had about what you'd like to see unfold over this next year. Now is a good time to check back in...

The World Health Organization estimates that by 2020, depression will be the second largest issue in ill health worldwide. Clinical depression is defined as a persistent depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure for at least two weeks along with a number of other physical...

The holidays are already upon us and for many people that means trains, planes and automobiles, as a means of traveling to see friends, family or just getting out of dodge. One of the companions that often travels with us that we'd rather not be there is stress and anxiety....

Every day it seems to become more apparent to me how deeply healing a practice of self-compassion is. During the difficult moments in life at times it seems as if we're wired to have a neural reaction of kicking ourselves while we're down. The result? We stay down with a...

Over the course of the recent election many of us have been inundated with a barrage of data that may have added on to the stress we're already feeling in everyday life. Our brains are designed to handle an increasing amount of complex information, and as more information becomes available,...

Life is full of actions and reactions. This is what makes up the world around us from the trees we see, to the relationships that are kindled and to the babies that come from them. Every single thing we do matters. When Mahatma Ghandi said, "Be the change you want...

Whether we're struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma or existential angst, most of us are looking for what really helps. To make any change we have to cultivate an awareness of what's happening, and in this awareness we access the possibility of choice to try something different. But while...

If you've followed my work, you've probably heard me talk about or read something I've written that has talked about the skillful application of doing things that prime our minds in the direction of mindfulness, health and well-being. In fact, priming the mind is the third step of the "5...

One thing that most of us are just not that good at is caring about ourselves. Some of us can exercise, eat well or give ourselves the occasional indulgence, but more than not, we're last on our "to-do" lists. The important thing here is that self-care is a major factor...

Mindfulness meditation, the act of intentionally paying attention to the present moment while putting aside our snap judgments, may alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma, and open us up to wonders, happy moments and a sense of grace in life. But make no mistake,...

Life can sometimes seem like a quest to achieve happiness. Certainly that is an underlying goal in Western and Eastern cultures. Many of us say, "Once I find my soul mate, then I'll be happy" or, "If I get that promotion, then I'll be happy" or, "Once I'm making this...

I've been thinking a lot lately about the importance of balancing the mind toward more of the good in life. This isn't meant to be a Pollyanna approach, just balancing the negativity bias that our brains inherently have.

Here is a short practice you can come back to again and...